looking at the huge solidified stream;
"everything about here must have been burned to ashes, and it would,
even with the rapid tropic rate, have taken fully a hundred years for
these trees to grow."

"How wide is the stream?" said the doctor; and he led the way to climb
up, startling something, which went off with a tremendous rush inland.

"What's that?" said Sir John.

"Couldn't catch a glimpse of it; but it wasn't a man. Four-legged
creature of some kind. There, that's its cry."

A peculiarly weird howl rang out, and was answered from a distance off;
but though the party waited in the hope of seeing what it was that had
been started, they were disappointed.

"Never mind," said the doctor; "we have proof that there are animals
about. Now then, how wide do you make the lava-stream to be?"

"About four hundred paces," said Sir John.

"Quite that," said the captain. "Well, gentlemen, what do you say to
making a halt just beyond the lava there--under one of those trees, say,
beside that stream?"

"Couldn't be a better place," cried Jack. "I am getting hungry."

"I think we all are," said the doctor, smiling, "for we have been
tramping quite two hours since Edward had his adventure on the cocoa-nut
tree."

"If I might suggest, Sir John, I'd make this the farthest limit of our
tramp to-day. We shall be about four hours going back; and to-morrow we
might go in the other direction--sail round the island, if you like."

"I think we would prefer to explore it on foot, captain," replied Sir
John.

They crossed the remainder of the solidified stream of stone, ascended
to the beautiful grove of trees on the other side, where a swift stream
of the purest water ran gurgling along to the sea, and here enjoyed, in
the cool shade, a delicious _al fresco_ meal, to which every one did
ample justice. After which a start was made for the yacht; but the heat
proved to be so intense, there not being a breath of air, save a
succession of hot puffs which seemed to be wafted down from the
mountain, that the men began to flag and show signs of being overcome.
Consequently, first one and then another halt had to be called, and when
they were still a good three miles from where they had left the boat,
the sun went down, and the night came on with startling suddenness, so
that at the end of a quarter of an hour it was dark as pitch beneath the
trees, and the order was given to bear off to the right, so as to follow
the sand.